


having the time of your life

by philindas



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/M, Mamma Mia! AU, bc it is ridiculous, but I love it so, no one bursts into song in this fic I promise, or I apologize? I guess it depends on your pov, this is probably considered a vaguely crack au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 16:49:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15368976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/philindas/pseuds/philindas
Summary: “So who is your dad- Phil, Tony, or Steve?” Bobbi asks once the door is shut behind them.“I don’t know!”“But which one did you invite?” Jemma asks, setting her bag down. Daisy’s expression turns sheepish, and her next words are said in tandem with Bobbi. “Oh. My. God.”or, the Mamma Mia! au no one asked for.





	having the time of your life

**Author's Note:**

> So I have been saying I wanted to write this fic for? About four years now? And I finally did! It's ridiculous and cheesy and not an exact match to the movie but I hope you enjoy it regardless! The title is from Dancing Queen by ABBA.

“Boat’s here, Daisy!”

She looks up at the call, beaming, and heads for the dock- stepping off the boat is a leggy blonde she hasn’t seen in far too long, and the excited yell leaves her lips as she leans into a sprint.

Bobbi scoops her up into a spinning hug, already laughing, and Daisy buries her face in her blonde curls, face splitting into a grin. Jemma’s hugging her tightly the second her feet are on the ground, and it’s so _good_ to have her two best friends with her again.

“Daisy it’s gorgeous,” Jemma says, taking her left hand and examining the ring, and Bobbi looks at her own bare hand dejectedly.

“I want one,” she moans, and Daisy rolls her eyes, an amused noise leaving her throat.

“I’m getting married tomorrow!” she yells, head tilting back, and both Jemma and Bobbi grab her tightly again, laughing.

Walking between them, arms around their waists, Daisy leads them back down the dock.

“I’m so glad you’re here. Because I have a secret, and I can’t tell anyone but you,” she confesses to them, and they exchange a look before two hands slide over her abdomen.

“Oh my god, Daisy, you’re knocked up!” Bobbi exclaims, and Daisy shoves at them both, shaking her head.

“No, no!” she can’t keep the laugh out of her voice, but brings them closer, tone softening. “I…invited my dad to my wedding.”

“You’re joking!” Bobbi says, turning around and walking in front of her, Jemma following suit.

“You found him? After all these years?” Jemma asks, eyes widening, and Daisy’s expression turns sheepish.

“No, no- not exactly,” she says, and they both look at her before looking at each other. Daisy tugs them over to sit on some rocks. “You know what my mom said, when I always asked about my father. It was a summer romance, and he was gone long before she even knew she was pregnant with me. I’d kind of always accepted that was all I’d ever know.”

She digs around in her bag, looking up at them with a grin.

“Well I was ransacking some old trunks, up in the attic? And I found this,” Daisy pulls out a weathered-looking book with a blue floral cover, and both Bobbi and Jemma’s eyebrows contract in confusion. “It’s the diary Mom kept the year she was pregnant with me.”

Two sets of eyes widen in her direction, and she cracks the spine open to the page she needs.

“July 17th. What a night,” she starts, and Jemma’s features crease.

“I don’t know if I want to hear this,” she says, and Bobbi shushes her.

“I do!”

“Phil rode me over to the little island- that’s here, that’s Kalokairi- and we danced on the beach. And we kissed on the beach. And dot dot dot,” Daisy paused for effect, and Jemma’s eyebrows scrunched together.

“What?”

“Dot dot dot, that’s what they did in the olden days!” Daisy explained, and Bobbi’s mouth dropped open.

“Oh my god, stop it!” she said, and Jemma came to sit with them, looking at the faded, looped handwriting.

“Phil’s the one- I know he is,” Daisy reads, and both girls press in closer. “I’ve never felt like this before.”

She shows them a few more entries as they begin to walk, and they pause a little further up the hill.

“So this guy Phil’s your father?” Bobbi asks, and Daisy opens the book a few pages further.

“The plot thickens,” she says, and interest fills both Bobbi and Jemma’s faces. “All this time Phil’s been telling me he loves me, and now he’s announced that he’s engaged- so he’s gone home to get married, and I’m never going to see him again.”

“Poor May,” Jemma said, frowning, and Bobbi nodded sadly.

“August 4th,” Daisy read, lifting her eyebrows. “What a night. Tony rented a motorbotor and I took him over to the little island.”

She started walking, not waiting for the other two to catch up and grinning at the shouts of “Daisy!” from behind her.

“Though I still miss Phil, Tony is so wild and funny, one thing lead to another, and dot dot dot! August 11th\- _Steve_ turned up out of the blue and I said I’d ‘show him the island’. He’s so sweet and understanding I couldn’t help it, and- dot dot dot!” the last three words are said in unison by the three girls, and Daisy’s cheeks are flushed as she looks at her two best friends.

“Sounds like the bridesmaids are here,” they all turn at the sound of Melinda’s voice, and she steps through the doorway, a smile on her face.

“May!” Bobbi and Jemma beam happily, moving to hug her; she wraps both of them up in her arms, making a noise.

“God, look at you- stop growing! When did you get taller than me?” she asks, unable to keep the affection off her face. “You sound like you’re having fun already.”

“Oh, we are,” Jemma says, and Melinda smiles.

“I used to have fun,” she says, shaking her head as she turns to head back inside.

“Oh we know,” Bobbi says lowly, earning an elbow from Jemma and a glare from Daisy, though thankfully it only gets an odd look from Melinda before they’re off, heading upstairs to Daisy’s room.

“So who is your dad- Phil, Tony, or Steve?” Bobbi asks once the door is shut behind them.

“I don’t know!”

“But which one did you invite?” Jemma asks, setting her bag down. Daisy’s expression turns sheepish, and her next words are said in tandem with Bobbi. “Oh. My. God.”

“Do they know?”

“Well what do you write to a total stranger? Please come to my wedding you might be my father? No. They think that _Mom_ sent the invites. And with what’s in here,” she holds up the diary, nearly vibrating with excitement. “No surprise, they said yes!”

“Daisy, this is insane,” Jemma tells her, watching as Daisy gets the bridesmaid dresses out for them to try on, and Daisy nods.

“Maybe, but it’s what I have to do. I want the perfect wedding, and I want my father to give me away.”

“Better be a wide aisle,” Bobbi snarks, and Daisy throws a pin at her, earning a glare from the blonde.

“I will know my father as soon as I see him,” she informs them, and they both lift an eyebrow at her.

The door opens, and they all turn- Robbie walks in, and his face splits into a grin at the sight of them.

“Robbie!” Jemma and Bobbi chorus, and he comes over, hugging the two of them tightly.

“Careful! There are pins in the dresses,” Daisy reminds them, and Bobbi puts a hand on her hip, modeling.

“What do you think?” she asks Robbie, and he nods.

“Very nice, ladies,” he tells them, and Daisy snorts.

“If you had your way it’d be a three minute wedding in jeans and t-shirts, washed down with a bottle of beer,” she says, and Robbie looks offended.

“You make me sound so unromantic,” he replies, and Daisy lifts an eyebrow. “I just thought we should save our money for traveling.”

“Well we’re not going anywhere yet!” Daisy counters, shooing at him. “Anyway, please leave, we’re incredibly busy and you’re in the way.”

“I’m just getting some things for tonight,” Robbie replies, grabbing an old cowboy hat from the closet and an incredibly ugly set of large plastic sunglasses before picking up an old pack of cigars.

“For his bachelor party,” Daisy teases, and Robbie makes a gesture of farewell before he ducks out of the room, leaving them alone once more.

“Why haven’t you told him that you’ve invited your dads?” Jemma asks once he’s gone, and Daisy folds her arms.

“Because he would say that I would have to tell my mom.”

“May’s absolutely going to kill you once she finds out!”

“By the time she finds out, it’ll be too late,” Daisy replies. “I feel like there’s a part of me missing, and when I meet my dad- everything will just…fall into place.”

Jemma and Bobbi look at her, emotions warring on their faces.

“Everything will work out- I swear, you guys. When have I ever steered you wrong?”

“Literally every time we’ve gone out drinking. Every single time,” Bobbi answers, and Daisy makes a face.

“It is not my fault you can’t handle gin.”

“You’re 20, why do you even _like_ gin?”

“I’m refined,” Daisy preens, and Bobbi snorts, Jemma barely holding in a laugh.

“Refined my ass.”

_

It’s been too many years since they’ve all been together, is all Melinda can think as she walks down the dock to where Peggy and Janet are stepping off the ferry.

Not since Daisy was small- not since one of Janet’s previous weddings. With Peggy’s book taking off and the hotel taking up most of her time, they’d all just gotten so busy that it had to have been at least a decade since all three of them had been in the same place.

“Well would you look at what the tide washed in,” she says, amusement in her voice, and they both grin at her before they’d tugging her into a hug, familiar and necessary and warm.

“God you look more and more like an old hippie,” Janet teases as they part, plucking the strap of her overall affectionately.

“These are new,” she taunts right back, pointing to her breasts, and Janet preens.

“Husband number three,” Peggy supplies, and Melinda rolls her eyes.

“God I’ve missed you two,” she says as she walks with them down the dock, arms looped together.

“You still have this rust bucket?” Peggy asks as they get to the truck, and Melinda snorts.

“Like I’d get rid of it? It’s reliable! And old, like me,” she pats the bumper, helping them both toss their bags in the bag. “Just ignore the rips in the upholstery and the smell when it starts up.”

Janet shakes her head fondly as she slides in the middle, and Peggy shuts the door as Melinda climbs into the driver’s seat. They head for the hotel, the route as familiar as breathing.

“So, any men at this wedding?” Janet asks, and Melinda and Peggy both chuckle. “Gorgeous Greeks of independent means?”

“Here we go- husband number four, step right up!” Peggy shouts, and Janet shushes her, shoving at her shoulder.

“Not for me, for you! Now that you’re a bestseller and you’ve got the whole world stuffing various vegetables into- what, mushrooms? It’s time to find Mr. Right!”

“Oh, please. That sounds so boring!” Peggy waves her words away.

“You two are great role models for Daisy. The serial bride and the hermit over here,” Melinda tells them, rolling her eyes as Peggy practically cackles in delight.

“So, when are the lovebirds flying the nest?” Peggy asks as they pull up to the hotel, and Melinda sighs.

“Hell if I know. Sometimes I have no idea what goes through my daughter’s head. She wants this big white wedding, and she and Robbie have all these ideas for the hotel- honestly sometimes I think she’s never going to leave.”

“Well, do you really want her to?” Janet asks, lifting an eyebrow, and Melinda smirks.

“I want what’s best for her- but of course not.”

She climbs out of the car, and waves to Robbie who had appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

“Robbie! Come meet my girls.”

“You must be Peggy,” he says, helping her down from the car, and she lifts an eyebrow, impressed.

“I am,” she answers, hugging him, and he grins before moving to help Janet.

“And you must be Janet,” he says, helping her down and kissing her cheek. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“Oh- all bad I hope,” she replies, and Melinda snorts.

“And all true!”

“I’ve got that, Melinda,” Robbie says, grabbing Janet’s bag, and she smiles gratefully at him.

The trek up the stairs seems ten times longer with the luggage, but once they’re there, Daisy’s excited voice floats down.

“Auntie Peggy!” she beams from the balcony of her room, then disappears to make her way down; Janet turns to Melinda, smiling.

“Look at how beautiful she’s gotten, she looks just like you, Mel!”

Daisy appears from the door, and Peggy opens her arms.

“Come here, darling, let me look at you!” she envelopes Daisy in a hug, pulling back and cupping her cheeks. “Daisy May, you get more gorgeous every time I see you, I swear.”

“I bet you don’t remember me,” Janet says, and Peggy snorts.

“Not with all that plastic surgery,” she chimes in, and Daisy shakes her head.

“Of course I do! Auntie Janet, you haven’t changed a bit,” she says, coming over to hug her just as tightly. Melinda stroked over her hair, wrapping Daisy into a hug.

“My baby, with her whole life ahead of her,” she said, kissing her cheek, and Daisy rolled her eyes, pushing at her arms.

“Oh, please, I’m getting married, not joining a convent!”

“Oh, she’s feisty- seems like it wasn’t just looks she inherited from you,” Janet teases, and Melinda rolls her eyes.

“I think we all know if she was like me she wouldn’t be getting married at 20.”

“Or married at all.”

“Thank you, Peggy.”

“Any time, darling.”

_

Daisy is putting the numerous boxes of alcohol away when she sees them; three unfamiliar men, taking in the island.

“Hi. Can I help you?” she asks, and they all turn to face her.

“Sure! We’re here for the wedding. I’m Tony Stark,” the first one answers- he’s got dark hair, eyes hidden behind sunglasses, and a bright smile; she’s surprised the sun doesn’t reflect off the white of his teeth.

“I’m Steve- Steve Rogers,” the second answers; he’s tall and blonde, with muscular shoulders and arms, but a soft voice and a kind smile. His eyes are blue beneath his sunglasses, she can tell, and he’s tan from the sun.

“Phil Coulson,” the last man answers; he’s shorter than Steve, with thinning blonde-ish hair and blue eyes- his smile is nice, and her stomach flips a little at the realization that she _doesn’t_ know which one of these men is her father. Not a single clue. “You are expecting us?”

“Oh my god- yes,” she answers, unable to keep the slight tinge of awe out of her voice.

“You wouldn’t happen to be Melinda’s daughter, would you?”

Daisy lifts her arms, smiling affirmatively.

“I thought you looked familiar,” Tony said, smiling. “Margarita, right?”

“Daisy, actually. I’m named after a Margarita, though,” she replies, smiling.

“Is it alright if we see our rooms before we see your mother?” Steve asks, and Daisy nods. “It’s just I’d like to freshen up a little before the big reunion.”

The trio starts to move towards the main entrance and Daisy shakes her head.

“No!” she exclaims, then stops, lowering her voice. “I mean, yes. But- come this way.”

She leads them through the wine cellar and out the back, feeling the hesitation from them. She ducks her head back, smiling.

“Come on!”

They all follow as she takes them back to the old goat house, and Phil’s the one to ask her where Melinda is before she shuts the doors behind them. She ignores his question, pointing to the ladder.

“Up you go.”

“You know, I don’t want to sound ungrateful for the scenic tour but- can we see our rooms now?” Steve asks, and Tony snorts.

“Don’t hold your breath, Steve. I think this is our room.”

“Can we see Melinda now?” Phil asks, and Daisy bites her lip.

“I sent the invites. My mom doesn’t know anything,” she confesses, and all three men pale in front of her. “Well she’s done so much for me and she’s always talking about you guys and the good old days and I thought what an amazing surprise for her that you are all going to be at my wedding?”

Alright. So a few white lies. No harm, right?

“Hang on- Daisy. I can’t be here,” Phil says, stepping forward. “The last time I saw your mother, she said she never wanted to see me again.”

“But that was years ago!” Daisy replies. “Please? It would mean a lot to me.”

“Why?” Phil asks, and Daisy can’t answer, simply looking at him.

“Listen, I can see you’ve been to a great deal of trouble, but I think it’s a good idea if we all just head back to your boat,” Steve says, turning to Tony- but the third man is sprawled out on an old mattress, flicking through a book.

“Nope,” he answers.

“Why?”

“It’s an adventure, Steve, it’s good for you.”

“Okay- when I sent the invites it was a longshot you’d even reply, and now you’ve come all this way for a _wedding_ of a girl you don’t even know. So…surely there must have been some special reason for you to be here- right? Like- a siren call, maybe?” Daisy suggests, lifting her shoulders, and all three men chuckle, Phil sinking down onto an old wooden crate.

“You’re just like your mother, you know that?” he says, and Daisy can’t help but beam. “Glad my boys never met you- they’d never recover.”

“You have sons,” Daisy says, and Phil nods.

“Yes, two of them. Someday I’d like to bring them here.”

“Like you used to bring my mother?” she asks, and Phil’s head turns, chin resting on his hand.

From below, the faint sound of Melinda humming floats up, and all three men turn their heads towards it. Daisy’s eyes widen.

“No- no she can’t know, do you understand? Please stay- please. But don’t tell anyone that I invited you, okay? Promise me.”

“You got it baby.”

“It’s a promise.”

“I might regret it, but alright.”

Daisy beams at them, hopping up onto the windowsill to climb down and pointing to the wooden board to place once she’s down. She mouths thank you and waves before disappearing, unable to think about anything but which one of the men she’d just left was her father.

_

This is absolutely not happening.

Three of her exes are definitely not all standing in the old goat house. She’s in a very, very bad dream. A nightmare. Absolutely not reality.

“Tell me you are all figments of my imagination,” she demands, and Tony is the one to laugh, shaking his head fondly.

“Very real, I’m afraid,” he tells her, and it pulls the smallest smile from her lips. “You look good, Melinda.”

“You really do,” Steve pipes up, and Melinda rolls her eyes a little at that.

“I’ve always thought so,” it’s Phil that speaks last, softly, and her heart leaps to her throat, but she refuses to spare him more than a glance and a purse of her lips. The ache in her chest hasn’t gone away for the last twenty one years, and it’s not going to go away now that he’s back and still married and looking as good as ever.

“So, what exactly are the three of you doing in my old goat house?” she asks, raising an eyebrow and watching the three men fumble for words.

“Serendipity?” Steve tries, and Melinda swallows down the laugh.

“I’m writing a travel piece,” Tony tells her, and the other two nod.

“Well, you can’t stay here- there’s a wedding going on the island, I don’t have time to deal with the three of you,” Melinda tells them, skipping over the part that it was her daughter’s wedding. “I don’t care how, don’t care where- just get off my island.”

With that she leaves them, swallowing hard once she’s outside, leaning her head back against the wall. Peggy and Janet were going to have a  _field day_.

She manages to keep herself together as she walks back to the hotel; her heart is in her throat and she’s terrified she’s going to run into Daisy, but thankfully she doesn’t, and both Janet and Peggy are at the bar, Thor serving Janet some kind of ridiculously fruity drink in a tall glass.

“Have you seen Daisy?” she asks, unable to keep some of the panic from seeping into her voice.

“I think she went down to the beach,” Thor supplies, and Melinda allows some of her control to slip, the burn of tears hitting her eyes.

“Come on, come with us,” Peggy says, guiding her over the bathroom and shutting the door behind them. “Darling what’s wrong?”

“It’s her dad,” Melinda says, wiping at her face, and Janet frowns.

“Who’s dad?”

“Daisy’s dad,” Melinda tells her, giving her a look. “Remember I always said it was Phil, Phil, the architect that had to go home to get married? Well I’m not _sure_ that I was him because there were two other guys, well, around the same time…”

“Melinda May you shady lady,” Janet says, shaking her head slowly, lips curling upwards.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Peggy asks, and Melinda lifts her shoulders.

“I didn’t think I’d ever have to! I didn’t think, ever in a million years, that all three of them would be in my old goat house like my worst god damn nightmare!”

“The old goat house?” Janet and Peggy ask in unison, and Melinda drops her head into her hands, groaning softly.

_

“Do they know about Daisy?” upon finding the goat house empty, the trio returned to Melinda’s room, and Peggy asked the question as they moved up the stairs.

“Unless they’re suddenly psychic, no,” Melinda answered. “I’ve never told a soul. And Daisy can _never_ find out.”

“Maybe she would be cool with it?” Janet suggested, and Melinda outright laughed at that, shaking her head.

“You don’t know my daughter. This would- this would be like a bombshell, to her.”

“Mel, they’ve gone. It’s over!” Peggy told her, and Melinda shook her head again.

“I don’t know where they are, I don’t know why they’re here- and I have brought this all on myself because I was stupid, reckless slut.”

Janet and Peggy both laughed, looking at each other.

“Don’t you sound like your mother!” Janet said, and Melinda’s lips parted in offense.

“I do not!”

“You so do!” Janet tells her, pointing a finger at her. “And you’ve been living like a nun ever since! You used to be the life and soul of the party, what happened to that Melinda?”

Peggy dug around on the desk, unearthing the old CD player- with a bit of fumbling, she’d inserted the CD she was looking for, and the grainy sounds of ABBA started.

“C’mon! Don’t be a grown up for once!” Peggy begged, reaching her hands out to take Melinda’s, lifting her to her feet. “It’s Dancing Queen, darling. You’re meant to dance.”

Melinda rolled her eyes.

“Well, for ABBA, I guess…”

_

Daisy, Jemma, and Bobbi are walking along the beach when Daisy sees the boat- her eyes widen, and she feels her heart drop to her toes.

“Wait!” she yells, jogging down the dock, pulling her shirt over her head. She unbuttons her shorts, dropping them to the wood, and dives headfirst into the water, ignoring the yells of her name behind her. She swims to the boat easily, and Steve and Phil extend their hands to help her up.

“We’re gonna sail around the island, wanna come?” Tony asks, and she takes the offered hands.

“You promised you’d come to my wedding!”

“Well your mother kicked us out of the goat house,” Phil tells her, lifting an eyebrow.

“We thought it would be better if we got out of her hair,” Steve added, and Daisy can’t help but smile.

“Melinda wasn’t too pleased to see us,” Tony continues. “What’s all that about?”

“She’s just- stressed, from the wedding. She’s not thinking straight. She’ll be so happy tomorrow, when she finds out you’re her surprise!” Daisy says, beaming, and the three men chuckle.

“You think so?” Tony asks, and Daisy nods. Her eyes fall on a familiar, worn case, and she looks at Steve.

“You- took Mom’s guitar.”

“No, I borrowed it,” he corrects, and picks the instrument up from the case, showing her the back of the neck. “See- MM, Melinda May, and SR. Steve Rogers. I bought her this. It cost me fifteen bucks and my Johnny Rotten t-shirt.”

Steve puts the strap over his head, fingers fiddling with the strings as random melodies sprang to life. “I met her when I was studying in Paris. Hopped on a train- followed her to Greece. Quite spontaneously, actually.”

He huffs a laugh at that, a clearly well-known song floating off the guitar as he strums it.

“I was a much different person twenty years ago,” he tells her, and Daisy sinks down to sit, watching him. “I never meant to be so…stationary, I guess. I started at the bank and blinked and it’s been two decades.”

“Do you like what you do?” Daisy asks, and Steve shrugs.

“I don’t hate it,” he answers, and Daisy’s lips quirk.

“That’s not really the same thing.”

Steve continues to strum the guitar as the boat moves through the water, and Phil settles on her other side.

“So. What do you like to do for fun, Daisy?” he asks, looking at her with his head tilted slightly. Daisy thinks for a moment, then shrugs.

“I like to draw,” she answers, and Phil’s face lights up with interest, and he gets up only to return moments later with two notebooks.

“A sketching contest, then,” he proposes, and Daisy nods, unable to help the grin as she takes the book and pencil he extends her. Steve’s music floats around them and mingles with the scratch of lead on paper; it’s peaceful, and Daisy’s eyes trace the shape of Phil’s face, trying to determine if any of her features could have come from him. The jaw is similar, as are the ears, and it’s astounding to look at each of the men on this boat and see a little of herself reflected back.

It’s Tony that pulls out the first old picture- he has long hair and a leather headband and her mother looks so much like her it hurts, but she can’t help but grin- they look happy and carefree.

“Long hair?” she asks, and Tony shrugs.

“Flower power, baby,” he answers, and she laughs.

They dock on the far side of the island to eat lunch, grilling fish over an open fire; Steve plays his guitar, and Phil pulls out his own weathered photo. Daisy’s heart squeezes a little at it; her mother’s wide smile and Phil’s head in her lap, their hands entwined together. She thinks back to the words in her mother’s diary- _Phil’s the one_.

Steve tells them stories about the concerts he used to go to, the music he used to play; the picture he shows Daisy makes her actually laugh out loud. Dark eyeliner rims his eyes, a gaudy headband encircles his forehead, and jagged blonde hair fell around his face. But her mother is there beside him, smiling, and Daisy’s chest warms.

When they return to the boat, the sun near setting, Phil holds up the notebook.

“Time to compare,” he says- his sketch is good, basic, but instead of showing him hers, she rips the page off and puts it in the pocket of the shirt he’d given her to wear as the air had begun to chill.

“Daisy!” she can hear Robbie’s yell from the shore, and she shoots up. She takes off Phil’s shirt, handing it to him as Robbie yells her name again. “Daisy!”

“Please, I have to go- but please come tomorrow!” she jumps off the boat into the water.

“We’ll be there.”

“It’s a promise!”

She swims to shore, and Robbie is there waiting in only swim trunks.

“Daisy, where have you been? People have been arriving all day and no one’s seen you,” he says, and Daisy runs her hands up his arms, smiling apologetically.

“I’m sorry, I was around the island and I just- I lost track of time,” she says. “Where are you going?”

“It’s my bachelor party- my last night of freedom!” he says, setting the items in his hands down in the sand, and Daisy huffs, looking at him. “Which is how some people might see it. But for me, it’s the last night before the greatest adventure in my life.”

Daisy laughs at that, Robbie’s hands threading in her hair.

“You know how I said I wanted to find my father,” she starts, and Robbie shakes his head.

“Dais, we’ve been over this a million times- you don’t need a father, you already have a family.”

“And you’ll never leave me,” Daisy states, and Robbie nods, brushing his nose over hers.

“Are you kidding? You turned my world upside down and inside out, chica,” he answered, backing her up slowly until her back hit the rock behind them, his mouth lowering over hers. She kissed him back languidly; he tasted warm and smoky, like the setting sun. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and she closed her eyes, sinking into the kiss.

But before she could do much more, Robbie’s warm weight was being pulled away from her, and she gave a noise of annoyance.

“Hey-”

“Sorry love, he’s ours now!” Hunter said, tugging Robbie away, winking at her over his shoulder. “Bobs and Jem are looking for you, Dais! Get a move on!”

Daisy rolled her eyes but heaved herself up, heading for the hotel, knowing that keeping her friends waiting any longer would do her no good.

_

“Why are they here, if it isn’t to ruin Daisy’s wedding?” Melinda asks, practically out of breath as they stumble through the courtyard after the once-in-a-lifetime karaoke song for Daisy’s bachelorette party.

“I thought you weren’t so keen on this wedding, anyway,” Janet says, and Melinda huffed.

“I don’t want them spoiling this- they have no right to turn up like this. What have they ever done for their daughter?”

“Mel- they didn’t even know she existed,” Peggy points out, and Melinda waves her hand.

“Well they didn’t need to know, did they? I did a great job with Daisy, all by myself. And I won’t be muzzled out by- by an ejaculation,” Melinda bursts out, and both Janet and Peggy’s eyes widen.

_

Daisy finds Phil waiting by one of the cliff views, and she smiles.

“Hi,” she says, stepping forward.

“Hi,” he replies, turning towards her. “I think I should explain to Melinda that I come in peace.”

“Oh, no, really, you should wait until she has- at least a few drinks in her,” Daisy said, and Phil chuckles at that.

“Good idea,” he says, nodding. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out the paper she’d drawn on on the boat. “What you drew on the boat- this is incredibly good, Daisy. Why don’t you pursue this?”

“Because I have enough to do here?” Daisy says, lifting her shoulders. Phil raises an eyebrow.

“Is that really what you want to do? Stay on the island with Lin?”

“She just can’t do it on her own,” Daisy replies, shaking her head.

“You know- I drew this whole place up on the back of a menu one night. I always dreamed I’d come back here,” he told her, voice growing soft and somewhat wistful.

“Well what kept you?” Daisy asks, a tinge of desperation entering her tone.

“What your mother said about me,” Phil answers.

“She never mentioned you,” Daisy replies, and Phil looks at her for a long moment.

“Daisy. What am I doing here?”

_

Daisy’s walking back into the party when she finds Steve crawling out from under the table, and she helps him up, walking with him to the bar.

“It’s hard to believe Melinda has a grown up daughter,” he says, taking a drink.

“Do you have any children, Steve?” she asks, and he shakes his head.

“I have a dog, Cap- but that’s it,” he replies. “I’d have loved a daughter- I would have spoiled her rotten.”

He looks at her for a moment, then looks back at the group of people.

“Is your father here?”

“I don’t know,” Daisy says truthfully, throat suddenly feeling clogged. “I don’t know who my father is.”

There’s a long pause before Jemma and Bobbi pull her back to the dancing, and she’s lifted onto the table where Tony’s already dancing.

“Hey!” he says upon seeing her, grinning. She smiles back, head starting to swim a little. “How on earth did Melinda get money to buy this place?”

“She was left some money by the woman she looked after when I was little- the Margarita I was named after,” she says, and something in Tony’s face changes.

“I had a great aunt Margarita, on the main land,” he tells her over the music. “But I always heard her money was left to family.”

Daisy looks at him, and Tony looks back, and understanding flairs in his eyes; something in her chest twists.

“How old are you?”

“I’m twenty,” she tells him, and he makes a small noise, eyes widening.

“Will you excuse me a minute?” he says, and she nods. “I’m sorry.”

But Daisy can’t let him go, not when it feels like there’s something at the tips of her fingers, and she follows him out, away from the noise of the music and the heat of dancing bodies, towards the quiet crashing of the waves below the cliffs.

“Tony, wait- why did your aunt leave my mother money?”

“I don’t know,” he says, and he sounds as confused as her heart feels.

“All my life there’s been this huge unanswered question and I don’t want any more secrecy!”

“What do you want from me, kid?” Tony asks, turning to face her, and the question is out before Daisy can think.

“Are you my father?”

“Yes,” Tony says, and something settles between her lungs. “I think so. Yes.”

“You know what comes next.”

“You’re not going to tell me you have a twin sister, right? Because that might be a deal breaker,” Tony says, and Daisy laughs wetly, stepping closer.

“Will you give me away tomorrow?” she asks, watching as Tony swallows.

“Give you away?”

“Our secret- until the wedding,” Daisy makes him promise, and Tony looks at her, seeming the catalogue her face before he nods. There’s a long breath before he extends his arms, and pulls her into a hug. Daisy’s hands touch his back, and she closes her eyes briefly. It’s an embrace she feels like she’s been waiting for, and yet- still not everything she’s been missing. Like a jigsaw puzzle, but with pieces out of place.

She leaves him on the cliff, heading back to the party- the boys have returned just as she’s walking in, and Robbie’s waiting, a necklace for her in hand and a grin in hand. She beams, holding her hair up so he can put it on, and catches Tony’s eye across the way as he watches, a smile on his own face. Daisy watches as her mom, Janet, and Peggy come through the other doorway, and all three men’s gazes fall to her- she involuntarily tenses, and Robbie notices.

“Go dance with Mom,” she says, pushing him towards Melinda, and her wrist is snagged by Phil as she makes her way through the crowd.

“Daisy- I know why I’m here! Why didn’t Melinda tell me- how long have you known I’m your father?” he asks, and Daisy’s eyes widen, her heart picking up its pace in her chest.

“What?” she asks, throat suddenly dry, and she shakes her head. “Not long at all. Phil, listen to me- my mom doesn’t know that I know. So can we wait until after my wedding-”

“Who’s giving you away tomorrow?” Phil asks, and there’s only a vague guilt when she answers.

“No one.”

“No- I am. Our secret until then,” Phil says, squeezing her hands and smiling before he disappears back into the crowd, and Daisy feels overwhelmed as she slowly walks back towards the dancing. She feels her mom’s eyes on her, and Robbie’s hands touch her gently, but anxiety crawls along her skin.

“Are you okay?” he asks, and she pushes at his touch, moving away from him.

“I can’t breathe!” she moves further away, and she stumbles directly into Steve. He pulls the mask he has on off, eyes wide.

“Oh my god. I’m your father!” he says, and Daisy feels lightheaded.

“Steve!”

“ _That’s_ why you sent me the invitation! You wanted your own father to walk you down the aisle tomorrow. Well I won’t let you down- I’ll be there!” he says, dancing off into the crowd, and suddenly everyone is spinning around her. She can feel everyone looking at her- her mother and Robbie and Phil and Steve and Tony and Janet and Peggy and Jemma and Bobbi and suddenly it’s too much and there’s no air and her eyes flutter before everything goes black.

_

Melinda’s attempting to clean up the absolute disaster the courtyard has turned into when Daisy walks by, and she straightens up.

“Hey!”

“What?” Daisy whirls around, clearly harried, and Melinda frowns.

“You okay?” she asks, and Daisy nods, too quickly.

“Yeah, I’m- I’m fine.”

“Hey, whoa- Daisy. Last night- you and Robbie. What’s wrong?” she asks, searching her daughter’s face. “Come on. Tell me what’s wrong.”

Daisy hesitates for a moment, dark eyes growing damp, before she finally speaks.

“I don’t know what to do.”

“You know what to do,” Melinda says, pulling Daisy into a hug and rubbing her back. “You don’t have to do anything. It’s not too late- I can still call off the wedding, everyone would understand-”

“Wha- call off the wedding?” Daisy asks, pulling back and looking at her.

“Isn’t that what you want?” Melinda asks, and anger fills Daisy’s face.

“No. It’s what _you_ want!”

“No-”

“Yes! God, you just- you have no idea! You never had a wedding! You never did the marriage and babies thing, you just did the baby thing. Well good for you!”

“You know, I don’t know why you’re yelling at me, right now young lady-”

Daisy lets out a loud noise of frustration, running her hands over her face, and Melinda goes to continuing picking up empty bottles.

“God, because- because I love Robbie, and I want to be with him, and- and I don’t want my children growing up not knowing who their father is because it’s just- it’s crap!” she yells, storming off down the stairs, and Melinda feels the words like little blows to her heart. She stands there, absorbing them, when Thor, Hunter, and Fitz stumble into the courtyard, the old bagpipes in their hands.

“Daisy’s going to have an absolutely beautiful wedding, alright? You three are supposed to be helping me, why are you not helping Robbie get ready?” she asks, taking the bagpipes from them and shooing them off, irritation radiating from her in waves. She moves and puts them in one of the spare rooms, and when she exits, Phil is leaning against the wall- her traitorous heart flutters for the briefest moment.

“I see you kept my bagpipes.”

“They’re supposed to ward off unwanted visitors,” she answers, unable to stop the upward curl of her lips at her tiny quip, and Phil huffs behind her.

“You don’t need bagpipes to do that.”

Melinda swallows, kneeling down with the caulk gun to attempt to fix the crack from yesterday in the plaster. “What are you doing here, Phil?”

“This was our dream, remember? Villa on the island?”

“Yeah, well, this is my reality- hard work and a crippling mortgage, and- shit,” the tip of the gun broke off as she spoke, and she sat back in annoyance. “And- a hotel that is literally crumbling around me.”

“Let me- can I help you, with this?” Phil tries to take the bowl of plaster from her, and she pulls it away, unable to keep the small smile from curving her lips.

“No, it’s alright, I can- deal with my own disasters,” she tells him, standing up and brushing off her dress.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was Daisy getting married?” he asks, and Melinda frowns.

“I didn’t think it was any of your business.”

“Why’s she getting married? Settling down on the island? I mean if it was up to me, I’d be telling her to go get a _life_ ,” Phil insists, and Melinda raises an eyebrow. “She’s a bright kid.”

“Yeah. I know,” Melinda replies, shaking her head. “But- my daughter. She’s got a mind of her own.”

“Yeah- I see that,” Phil says, and there’s affection in his gaze; affection that hurts too much for Melinda to see, so she looks away. “She’s just so young. Does she really know what she wants? I think part of her just wants to let you know that she isn’t gonna leave you here alone.”

“What do you mean?” Melinda asks, frowning, and Phil turns towards her, his hands coming to rest briefly on her upper arms, her skin burning at the contact.

“Mel, I have two grown children- I know something about letting go,” Phil tells her, and Melinda nods, lips pressing into a line. This, she didn’t have time for. “If Daisy thought you were okay on your own, would she want something different for herself?”

“See here’s the thing-” Melinda starts, lifting the gun, before she realizes what a bad idea that is, and moves away to set it off to the side and out of the way. “I’m fine on my own. I love it. I’ve done it for the last twenty years. I’m _good_ at it, Phil. I don’t- I don’t need anyone.”

She walks away, leaving Phil standing there, and it’s so painfully similar to twenty one years ago that her heart hurts in her chest. She hates this, hates him- hates how many years she’s spent wondering how different things would have been if only he’d been honest from the start.

She’s setting places at the table when Tony finds her; she softens, never able to stay mad at him for long.

“So, I know that running this place and raising a kid on your own isn’t cheap,” he starts, and Melinda’s eyebrows knit together as he hands her the folded piece of paper. She opens it, and her eyebrows shoot to her hairline at the zeroes attached to the check. “I wanted to make a contribution.”

“Tony, I can’t- I can’t accept this!” she says, but he’s already backing away for the stairs.

“Nope! Not taking it back, it’s yours Mel!” he tells her over his shoulder, and she just stands there in shock, unable to process anything. So she slips the check into her dress pocket to deal with later, and goes back to setting plates.

_

“Robbie?” Daisy calls- he looks up from where he’s decorating the boat, and she swallows. “I need your help.”

“Of course,” he says, nodding, and she starts heading back towards the hotel as Robbie jogs after her. Once they’re in the woods, she turns to him, panting.

“I’ve done something completely insane,” she starts, and his eyes widen. “All of my dads are here for our wedding, and they all think that they’re giving me away.”

“All of your what?” Robbie asks, and Daisy swallows.

“I read Mom’s diary, and I have three possible fathers.”

“But…how are they here now?” Robbie asks, eyebrows drawn together.

“I invited them. I thought that I would know right away, but I don’t! I have no idea! And now my mom is gonna kill me, and they’re gonna hate me, and you-” she breathless the more she talks, anxiety tripping up her words, and Robbie holds up a hand.

“Hold on- you invited these guys, and you didn’t tell me?”

“N- No. I thought that you would try to stop me,” she confesses, and hates the way she can’t read Robbie’s face. “I know I messed up!”

“Daisy. Is that what this whole big white wedding is about? You finding your dad?” he asked, and Daisy shook her head.

“No! No!”

“I wanted to take a boat to the mainland with a couple of witnesses, something small and quiet and familiar, and you insisted on this- on this circus. So you could play happy family?” he asked, and Daisy interjected.

“It’s about knowing who I am, and I wanted- I wanted to get married knowing who I am!”

“That doesn’t come from finding your father. That comes from finding yourself,” Robbie tells her. “And- the irony is, I was traveling to find myself. I put everything on hold, for you Daisy. Because I loved you and I wanted what you wanted, and now I just- I don’t know.”

“You don’t know if you love me?” Daisy asks, watching Robbie walk away, and he turns around, lifting his arms.

“Of _course_ I love you, Daisy. I just wish you’d told me.”

Phil appears just as Robbie leaves, and Daisy feels her world crashing down around her ears.

“Everything okay?” he asks, and Daisy shakes her head.

“Not now, Phil.”

“Yes, now, Daisy, I’m supposed to give you away in a few hours. How can I when I know you won’t really be happy?” he asks, and Daisy can’t help the slightly bitter laugh that creeps out.

“I’ve heard all this from my mother. And I think she knows me just a little bit better than you do.”

“I know, but I have done the big white wedding and believe me, it doesn’t always end in happily ever after,” Phil informs her, and Daisy spins around, looking at him.

“That’s you! That is not me, okay? I love Robbie more than anything in this world. Did you even feel that way before you got married, Phil?” she asks, and she can see the answer in Phil’s face before he answers.

“No, I didn’t.”

Daisy leaves Phil by the cliffs, and heads for the hotel; she finds her mother sitting at one of the banquet tables, staring off into space. Melinda stands up at the sound of her footsteps, tilting her head.

“Aren’t you supposed to be getting dressed? Where are Jemma and Bobbi, shouldn’t they be helping?”

“Will you help me, please?” is all Daisy asks in reply, and watches as her mom’s face softens before she nods.

_

It doesn’t feel like Daisy is old enough to be a bride, but as Melinda braids her daughter’s hair out of her face, sometimes it strikes her how much her daughter has truly grown. No longer is she the sleepy little five year old watching her from behind a big bowel of cheerios at the breakfast table; no longer is she the rebellious sixteen year old sneaking out to drink with the local boys at the dock late at night.

She affixes daises behind both of her ears, and together they get her into her dress; Daisy stands before the mirror as Melinda ties it, settling the ribbon and lace where it’s supposed to.

“Do you think I’m letting you down?” Daisy’s voice cuts through the quiet of the room, and Melinda frowns, finishing the bow she’s tying.

“Why would you even think that?” she asks, and Daisy turns to face her.

“Look at what you’ve done- raising a kid and running a business, all by yourself,” Daisy said, and Melinda lifted a hand to touch her cheek gently.

“Well honey, I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t go home; when I got pregnant, my mother told me not to bother coming back. And I wouldn’t have had it any other way, I mean- look at what we’ve had,” she said, smiling. Daisy’s lips curved into a smile of their own, and she looked at her for a moment before her gaze dropped to her toes, and then came back up.

“Will you give me away?” she asked; Melinda’s heart tripped a little in her chest, and she swallowed hard before nodding, unable to form real words through her emotion as she turned Daisy back towards the mirror and adjusted the sash of the dress one last time.

_

Daisy’s making her way up to the church, Jemma and Bobbi by her side, when Phil catches her again.

“Melinda. I need to talk to you about who’s giving Daisy away,” he said, and she continued walking.

“That would be me.”

“But- what about her dad?”

“Her dad isn’t here,” Melinda answers, though her heart tripped guiltily in her chest.

“But it’s what she wants, she wants her dad to give her away- what if her father wants that too?” Phil asks, and Melinda shakes her head, closing her eyes.

“What are you? Phil, I can’t…do this now. I can’t hear this now,” she says, taking a step past him.

“Melinda, listen to me- this is about us,” he starts, and she puts a hand up.

“I don’t want to talk about us. Or the past. I can’t today,” she says, and a sad smile slips onto her lips. “I think I finally understand why you’re here, Phil. And I get it. You won, in this scenario. You came to see how I ended up, and you know you were the winner. Congratulations.”

She swallows, and Phil goes to speak, but she shakes her head.

“You have to know how much I still care about you. How much that hasn’t gone away. But I can’t- it doesn’t matter,” she says, shrugging.  “I have to go give my daughter away. I don’t have time for this, Phil. Just go.”

She takes off for the church, praying he’d gotten the message and didn’t follow; thankfully she reaches the top and is still alone. Jemma and Bobbi are waiting for her, and she plays it off as something happening to her shoe that caused the delay. Daisy gives her a look as she stands, but Melinda merely lifts an eyebrow and links their arms.

The music starts and they start down the aisle, everyone smiling at them; Robbie’s waiting for them at the end, and Melinda presses a kiss to Daisy’s temple before she transfers her hand to Robbie’s, then collapses next to Peggy.

“Welcome to Daisy and Robbie, and to all of your friends who have gathered here this evening. And welcome especially to Melinda, who represents your family,” the priest says, and Melinda makes the rash decision to stand and speak in that moment.

“And welcome to…Daisy’s dad. I have to tell you, he is here,” she says, looking at her daughter, and Daisy nods.

“I know, I invited him.”

There’s the scraping of chairs, and Phil, Steve, and Tony all stand.

“You couldn’t have, I don’t know which one it is,” Melinda says, and then her eyes widen and her mouth drops open. “Oh my god- that’s why they’re all here!”

“I’m so sorry- please forgive me!” Daisy said, wrapping her hands around Melinda’s, and she’s still too shocked to comprehend much.

“I don’t- know,” she says, eyebrows contracting. “Can you forgive me?”

“What?” Daisy asks, incredulous. “I don’t care if you slept with hundreds of men. You’re my mom, and I love you so much.”

Daisy wraps her arms around her, and Melinda hugs her back tightly, relief filling her. She pulls back, and feels the need to reassure their audience.

“And I haven’t slept with hundreds of men.”

With that she drops back into her seat, feeling Peggy squeeze her knee as the chapel chuckles.

“Am I getting this right? Daisy might be mine, but she might be Steve or Tony’s?” Phil asks, and Melinda shoots back up.

“That’s right. And don’t get all self-righteous with me, because you have no one but yourself to blame,” she fires back.

“Yeah, if you hadn’t just dumped my mother and gone off and married somebody else!” Daisy adds, and Phil holds up his hands.

“Hey, wait a minute. I had to go back- I was engaged. But I told Rosalind I couldn’t marry her and I came right back,” he says, and Melinda’s eyes widen as she stands once more, shock in her features.

“You- you…but why didn’t you call me?” she asks, and Phil huffs a bitter laugh.

“Because I had this crazy notion that you would still be here waiting for me. Only when I got here, they said you were off with some other guy,” Melinda looks over at Steve and Tony, cheeks coloring slightly. “Rosalind called me an idiot and married me to prove it.”

“Can I just add something, real quick?” Tony says, getting up from his seat and joining them at the altar.

“No, it’s alright, Tony, you don’t have to-”

“No, no, I just want to say- it’s great to have even a third of Daisy. I never thought I’d get even that much of a kid,” Tony confesses, and Melinda’s face softens. “Melinda, you were the first girl I ever loved- and, actually, you were the last girl I ever loved.”

He looks over at one of the local men, smiling, and everyone’s eyes widen, but Melinda merely smiles.

“We can find out, if you want. But I’m with Tony. Being a third of your dad is great by me,” Phil says, and there’s noise as Steve stands.

“Me too. I’ll take a third,” he says, joining them, and Peggy snorts from the front row.

“Typical, isn’t it? You wait twenty years for a dad and then three come along all at once.”

They all settle in again, and just as “Dearly beloved” is said, Daisy whirls around, looking at them.

“You know, I have no idea which one of you is my father, but- I don’t mind. Now I know what I really want,” she turns to Robbie now, smiling. “Robbie, let’s just not get married yet. You never wanted this anyway, I know that. Let’s just get off this island and see the world, okay?”

Robbie grins, tugging her into him.

“I love you, you know that?”

Daisy grins, leaning up to kiss him, and Robbie scoops her up, making his way for the door. Melinda gets up, making her way to the priest, confused beyond belief by the turn of events.

“Do I take it the wedding is cancelled, Melinda?” he asks, and she shrugs.

“Honestly, I’m not entirely sure what’s happening right now,” she answers, and turns at the sound of Phil’s voice.

“Hang on,” he says, and then he looks right at her. “Why waste a good wedding? How about it May? You’re gonna need someone to boss around on this island of yours.”

“Are you nuts? I am not a bigamist,” Melinda puts her hands on her hips, looking at him in disbelief. Phil steps forward, watching her.

“Neither am I. I’m a divorced man who’s loved you for twenty one years. And ever since the day I set foot on the island again I’ve been trying to tell you how much I love you,” he says, and he gets down on one knee, arms outstretched. “Come on, Lin. It’s only the rest of your life.”

Robbie places the would-have-been wedding ring in Phil’s hand, and Daisy, Janet, and Peggy all shove at Melinda.

“Come on, Mom! Say I do!”

Phil holds up the ring, lifting an eyebrow, and the words are out of Melinda’s mouth before she even realizes what she’s doing- before she even realizes how much she wants that to be her answer. “I do.”

The whole room stands still for a moment, and then she’s rushing forward, arms around Phil’s neck. He kisses like she remembers, and her eyes close as his arms wrap around her waist, tugging her closer.

It’s all a blur, if she’s being honest; up until the priest says “I now pronounce you man and wife” and there’s a ring sliding onto her finger and Phil’s lips are on hers once again, she’s not quite sure what happens. It’s dizzying, and there’s so much noise and joy and love around her- Daisy holds her so tightly it almost hurts, but her cheeks are nearly splitting from the grin on her face.

She has to sit, after a moment; between her poor choice in footwear and the overwhelming wheel of emotions she’s been on today, she’s exhausted. Melinda collapses into a chair, and after a moment Phil’s there, his fingers gentle against her temple; she catches them in her own, holding them to her face and rememorizing the feel of them.

Husband had never been a word she ever thought she’d associate with herself, but looking up at hers, she allows some of the weight she’s carried on her shoulders for so long to fall off. She didn’t have to do this alone; not anymore. It wouldn’t be easy- they couldn’t just fix their past with a few vows and a ring.

But they had all the time in the world. They’d be fine.

_

The walk to the dock is quiet; Daisy keeps her fingers interlocked with Melinda’s, and when they reach the boat, she turns to the men.

Tony is first; she hugs him tightly, and he slips her a thick wad of bills Melinda pretends not to see, amusement wrinkling her nose. Steve’s embrace sweeps Daisy off her feet, and she buries her face in his neck briefly, arms tight around his shoulders. Phil is last; and Daisy presses her cheek to his as his arms wrap around her.

“Take care of her,” Melinda hears her say softly, and her chest warms.

“Always,” he murmurs back, and when Daisy makes her way back to Melinda’s side, she wraps her daughter up in her arms, holding her tightly.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” she whispers, brushing her hair from her eyes, and Daisy smiles, hands on her hips.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” she replies, leaning forward until their noses brush. “I love you, Mom.”

“I love you more, Daisybell,” Melinda whispers back, kissing her daughter’s forehead before helping her into the boat, Robbie nodding up at her with a smile. “Keep her safe out there, Reyes.”

“Like I’d let anything happen to her when I know I have you to answer to,” Robbie replies, amusement in his tone, and Melinda smiles. She steps back, feeling Phil’s hand fall to her hip, and she settled her head on his shoulder. The four of them watched the boat disappear into the inky distance, Melinda feeling part of her heart disappear with it.

“I miss her already,” Tony complains, and Melinda laughs out loud, patting his shoulder as they walk back towards the hotel.

“Welcome to parenthood, Stark.”


End file.
